Improvement in thrashing-machines



2 Sheeis-Shea 2.

S. E. VMTT.

Improvement in Thrashng-Mashines.

Patenied April 23,1872.

fnvenfwm @f f w ,QW @545m nUNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

SOLOMON E. OVIATT, OF WEST RICHFIELD, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN THRASHING-MACHIINES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SOLOMON-E. OvrATT, of West Richiield, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and Improved Thrashing-Machine; and I do herebydeclare that the f'ollowing is a full, clear,

in the several views.

SPECIFICATION.

The nature of this invention relates to a thrashing-m achine and stacker attached thereto, and which invention has for its object, in

part, a device for adjusting the concave and feed-board to the cylinder of the machine 5 second, to a device for adjusting the sieves to any desired degree of elevation 5 third, to a shoe for supporting the base of the stacker and for catching the waste grain and litter; fourth, to

.a mode of tripping or agitating the rakes of the separating-carrier; fifth, to a grain-catcher or guard, at the outer end of the .separatingcarrier; sixth, so constructing the stacker that the rods connecting the sections and forming the hinges shall also act as shafts for the beltpulleys 5 and seventh, in providing auxiliary' bars for the rakes to rest upon, all constructed and operated as follows:

In the drawing, Fig. l, A represents the body of the machine, in the front end of which is a cylinder, B, hung and operated in the or` dinary way. O is the concave, and D the feed table or board, on which the grain is laid for being fed'into the machine. The concave referred to is hung in the machine on a shaft, E, thereby allowing toit a vibratory movement to and from the cylinder to which it is related.

This movement or adjustment ofthe concave is effected as follows: From each end of the concave projects anl larm,va Figs. l and 4, to

which is pivoted one end of a link, F, having a slot in the end for the-movement of the pivotal pin, by which the arms and links are con- Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 125,904, dated April 23, 1872.

' nected to each other. The opposite end of the link is secured to a shaft, G, Fig. 4, having its bearings in the sides of the machine. One end of said shaft projects through the side of the body of the machine and terminates in a crank, H, whereby said shaft can be turned, and which turning will operatethelinks,and thereby move the concaveto or away from the face of the cylinder, asv the case may be, and which is retained in its relations of distance thereto by the crank being lodged in one of the series of notches in the rack I, seen on the side of the body in Figs. 3 and 4. The outer side or edge of the feed-table is pivoted in the sides of the machine, whereas its inner end is free, and lies upon the edge of the concave, so that, when the outer edge of the concave is moved or adjusted in its relationto the cylinder, the table or feed-board moves with it and adjusts itself in its angle or cant to the cylinder, more or less, as the adjustment of the concave may be,

and which adjustment is governed by the cony dition of the grain.

The second improvement in this machine consists in a device for adjusting the elevation of the rear end of the sieve H', Fig. 7, so that such adjustment can be done while the machine is running. For this purpose the front end of the sieve is secured to thesides of the machine by a stirrup, a, atfthe point o, Fig. 1, whereas the rear end issuspended, by links a', from the arms c, Fig..7, projecting from a shaft, I', having its bearings in the sides of the machine. One end of said shaft projects through the side and terminates in a crank, J, Figs. 4

and 7 On turning said crank the end of the sieve 01 shoe in which the sieve is secured can be raised or lowered,as the case may be, and whichis confined in any one position by the crank being lodged in one of the notches of the rack K. By this crank and shaft the rear end of the sieve can be raised or depressed, as circumstances may demand, without stopping the machine for that purpose, as the crank is on the outside, and therefore can be reached without trouble.

The third impro vement relates to a shoe, which serves as a base, in which the lower end of the stacker is secured.V Said shoe consists of a concave trough, L, Figs. 1 and 3, inthe ends of which are journaled seats for holding the shaft, whereby the lower endof the stacker M is attached to the machine and supported, as shown in Fig. 1.

The more special purpose of the shoe is for catching the loose grain that may be lodged in the chaff as it falls upon the stacker, and which is ordinarily thrown out with the chaff and lost; whereas by the use of the shoe referred to it is saved. inthe manner as follows: The grain, as it is shaken from the chatf while being conveyed by the carrier N of the stacker to the stack, falls down upon the tight door or plain. of the carrier, over which the carriers pass. yThe grain slides down said ioor into the shoe, from which it is brushed out by the bars ofthe carriers, which sweep around therein in the course of their revolution. The grain thus removed falls into the conductor O, Fig. l, immediately back'of the shoe, from which it runs into the elevator, and is discharged thereby into the mouth of the machine with the rest of the unfanned grain to be cleaned by the fanningmill.

By this device nearly if not all of the loose 4.grain is saved, which in the ordinary machine is lost.

The fourth improvem entrelates to a device for tripping the carrier-rakes, whereby the stra-w is shaken up for dislodging the loose grain therein.

Said device is constructed and operated as follows: To the belts P, Fig. 2, are secured the 'ends of the carrierrakes Q and bars Q', on which the teeth of the rakes fall and rest when undisturbed. Upon said rakes the straw directly from the cylinder is thrown a-nd carried to the stacker. In said straw more or less grain is lodged, and for the purpose of dislodging the grain the rakes are shaken, thereby causing the grain to fall upon the iioor of the separating-carrier, from which it is conveyed into the sieves.

The amount of shaking that the Vstraw may require depends upon its condition-fas to dampness, &c.- To eii'ect this shaking, and the amount desirable, a roller, It, Figs. 1 and 2, is secured to ashaft, S. Said shaft is bent in the middle, tbrming a crank or arm, d', on

which the roller is placed, as shown in Fig. 2. One end of the shaft passes through the sideof the machine and terminates in a crank, T, whereby the shaft is operated, for the purpose ofelevating or depressing the roller, so as to bring it more or less in contact with the lugs II, Fig. l. depending from the under side of the .head of the rakes, which, as the rakes pass upward, iinpinge upon the face of the roller, thereby tilting the teeth of the rakes upward with a quick sudden movement, and more or less violent, as the elevation of the roller may be, and over which the ends of thelugs drag. this means, the amount or violence'ot' the shaking can be graduated as the condition of 'fthe' straw may need. The posit-ion of the roller vfis:maintained by the rack V, into which the l crank;"is'-l'od ged, thereby holding vthe roller sov 'and is dropped with the straw.

that the lugs may strike it and thus shake the rakes. The roller, bythe same means,vcan be so depressed as to be out of the reach of the lugs; hence the ra-kes will pass over it without being shaken.

The fifth improvement consists in guarding against the waste of grain by its being carried over the end of the separating-carrier on the belts l?, as the grain is apt to lodge thereon, To prevent this waste of grain in that direction. I have provided a guard, W, Figs. l and 3. Said guard consists of a plate having a width a little more than that of the belts, and in front of which and partially around under the pulley over which the belts run. It is `arranged as shown in Fig. l. Figs. 5 and 6 are detached views of the guard, in which figures it will be seen that it is provided with a vertical ear, A',

having a hole therein for the admission of the end of the shaft B', carrying the pulleys C', over which the belts P run, and which hole serves as the journal-seats for the shafts.

It will be seen that the ends of the shaft project through the sides of the machine, slots d being made therein for their admission. The purpose of the slots is to allow the shaft to be moved outwardly for tighteningthe belts from time to time, as may be needed, and which may be drawn outward by adjustingscrews, or by any other appropriate device. The under end of the guardlies upon the Hoor of the separating-carrier; hence, as the grain may fall from the belt onto the guard, it will be directed onto said floor, down which it will slide to the sie-ves.

r.lhe sixth improvement consists in constructing the stacker in two sections, M, referred to, and M', Fig. l. Said two sections are connected to each other by means of the shaft D', Fig. 2, on which are carried the belt-pulleys E', said shaft being made to do double duty-viz., that as a joint for the connection of the two sections of the stacker, and shaft for the pulleys for carrying the belts F', Fig. 3. In thus connecting the two sections, as above described, I am enabled to close them back one upon the other, as shown in Fig. l. The lower end of section M' being secured to section M by the hoops f, in this position of the stacker, it is much less trouble to move it from place to place, as it is folded up out of the way, which folding is easilyand quickly done; also, it is in condition for being used with one section only, thereby obviating the necessity of removing the cylinder-section M', and which may be brought into use by simply unhooking its lower end and elevating it to the line of section M, thereby carrying the straw higher; and it is also in working position, as shown in Fig. 1, for carrying up the chai', &c., and discharging it with the straw.

It will be observed, on examination of Fig. 2, that the rakes Q and the cross-bars Q' are arranged alternately, and in such relation to each other that said bars support the teeth of the rake; whereas, in my former machine, the head of one rake supported the teeth of the adjacent one, the objection of which is, that' Claims.

l. The shaft G, links F, and arms a, as arranged, in combination with the concave O, constructed in the manner substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The shafts I, arms c, and links a', in combination with the sieve H, constructed substantially in the manner as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The concave trough or shoe L, having a journal-seat or seats on each end for supporting the base of the stacker, as arranged in relation thereto, and in combination with a conductor, O, in the manner as and for the purpose specified.

4. The shaft S, having an arm or offset, d', and roller l, in combination with the rakes Q, provided with a lug, U, constructed substantially in the manner as described, and for the purpose set forth. V Y 5. The guard W and ear A', as arranged in relation to and in combination with the shaft D and belts P, constructed in the manner substantiallyr as described, and for the purpose specified.

6. The stacker, consisting of the sections M and M', When connected to each other by the shaft D', carrying the pulleys E' and belts F', so that said sections can be folded back one upon the other, in the manner substantially as 

